Traditional vehicles having an internal combustion engine include a transmission having a mechanical park mechanism. The mechanical park mechanism typically includes a park pawl that mechanically engages a park gear that is splined to an output shaft of the transmission. The park pawl engages the park gear to prevent rotation of the output shaft, thereby preventing rotation of the drive wheels coupled to the transmission.
Vehicles having non-traditional propulsion systems, such as propulsion systems in which an electric motor is directly attached to each independent wheel, or to individual axles, do not include a transmission, and therefore do not lend themselves to the traditional mechanical park mechanisms.